REGIONAL EMPLOYERS HIRING NEW WORKERS DEMAND TECHNICAL- & SOFT-SKILLS; WORKONE CAN ADVISE WHERE YOUR SKILLS STAND  omentum was unmistakable as hiring accelerated in April 2013 across the board with noteworthy employment gains in north-central Indiana as well as the Northern Tier, the entire Hoosier state and the United States from coast to coast.  For instance, employment grew in April in several vital segments:  in Northern Indiana, Region 2, overall employment rose to 262,740, a gain of 5,280 jobs compared to March 2013; and in the Northern Tier, workers holding jobs increased to 946,650, an expansion in employment of 19,570 versus a month earlier. Yet even with Northern Indiana's lower jobless rate of 8.6 percent in April 2013 compared to 9.7 percent a month earlier, out-of-work individuals need to do more to align their technical- and soft-skills with the abilities sought by employers. When they move into a hiring mode, Northern Indiana em- ployers will interview only qualified candidates, and then a hiring decision very well could favor the best communicator among those in the interivew pool. When an employer invests energy and expense to engage in hiring, there are a couple vital aspects of the process that job seekers should bear in mind — if you're jobless, are you listening? —————————————————  Go to LABOR MARKET STORY. CONSORTIUM FOCUSES ON IMPORTANCE OF LIFELONG LEARNING & ADULT EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT  orkOne is pleased to collaborate with other training organizations to provide comprehensive and integrated Adult Education services to residents of north-central Indiana. —————————————————  Go to LIFELONG LEARNING PAGE.